NEW DELHI:
Despite India having a national School Bag Policy since 2020, children across
the country continue to carry backpacks that often exceed the recommended limit
of 10% of their body weight. The policy calls for regular monitoring of
school-bag weight, rationalisation of textbooks and notebooks, lightweight bags
and timetables that reduce the number of books children need to carry each day.
Yet, implementation remains uneven.
Noted social
worker, wildlife enthusiast and Managing Trustee of Prabha Khaitan Foundation,
Sundeep Bhutoria, has taken the initiative to draw society’s attention to the
issue and push for stronger implementation of the existing guidelines. His
letter to Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, highlighting
the continuing burden of heavy school bags on children, gained significant
traction on social media and has since become a campaign of sorts, drawing
wider public attention to the issue.
Jayant
Chaudhary responded positively to the concern. At an International Literacy Day
event, the Minister highlighted the School Bag Policy's guideline that a
student's school bag should not weigh more than 10% of their body weight. He
also called for stronger implementation of the guidelines at the school level,
with the cooperation of State governments and school leadership.
The issue is
not simply about the weight of the bag, but also about how the school day is
structured. Multiple textbooks, notebooks, supplementary books and project
material can add considerably to the load. Simple measures such as weighing
machines in schools, displaying permissible bag weights, random inspections,
rationalised timetables and informing students in advance about the books
required each day could significantly reduce the burden.
A lighter
school bag does not mean lighter education. Rather, it can support a more
efficient and experiential approach to learning, with greater use of classroom
resources and less dependence on carrying books between home and school. India
already has a policy defining how much a school bag should weigh. The growing
public discussion, and the Minister's positive response, now put the focus
firmly on ensuring that the guidelines are implemented on the ground.